SAN FRANCISCO—On Tuesday, April 27, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office announced their Chief of the Victim Services Division will be stepping down next month as noted in a press release. In an internal announcement on April 12, Dr. Gena Castro Rodriguez made it known that she will be stepping down from her position and her final day will be on May 14.
“Dr. Castro Rodriguez was a champion for crime victims and survivors, and I am grateful for her dedication to improving our Victim Services division,” said District Attorney Chesa Boudin.
The news comes on the heels of the death of a 7 month-old baby that forced the SFDA’s Office to revaluate how they respond to victims of domestic violence. Reports do not indicate whether or not the incident is the reason Castro Rodriguez decided to step down.
Assistant District Attorney Kasie Lee, will be filling Castro Rodriguez’s place in the interim, while a new chief is found. Lee currently works with the SF District Attorney’s Office Juvenile Division and ran a boutique law practice in San Francisco for seven years before being brought on by the SFDA’s office.
As she served at the DA’s office, Castro Rodriguez has been teaching Psychology at the University of San Francisco for the past eight years. While serving as Chief of Victim Services, her office oversaw 9,000 victims of violent crime a year.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to lead and grow the Victim Services Division at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office,” said Dr. Castro Rodriguez. “I thank my team for their hard work and dedication to crime victims, and DA Boudin for his consistent push to expand resources to support survivors.”
Written By John Aguilar and Donald Roberts
